Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest
Berchtesgaden, Germany
Hitler's Eagle's Nest
Berchtesgaden, Germany
On a trip through Austria, my husband had one request, we stop at Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. I had planned to stop in Salzburg and with Berchtesgaden an easy 30 minutes by bus, it was easy to fit into our trip.
Eagle’s Nest sits atop Kehlstein mountain and the official name of the building was Kehlsteinhaus. Germans referred to it as D-Haus to represent the Diplomatic decisions made here. It is believed a British journalist referred to it as Eagle’s Nest, and a French Ambassador solidified the name during a visit in 1938. The name stuck for most people except Germans.
Hitler loved to entertain important dignitaries although he often left the actual entertaining to others as he really disliked Eagle’s Nest due to his fear of heights and in fact, there are only 14 documented visits by Hitler himself. Hitler preferred his summer house in the valley down below, Berghof.
Construction of Kehlsteinhaus and access to it, started in 1938 and only took 13 months to complete. Workers were forced to work through the winter and through the nights, leading to hazardous conditions and the death of a dozen workers. The road climbs 800 meters over 6.5 km and includes five tunnels and one hairpin turn. From the parking lot, a 127 meter tunnel leads to an elevator that rises 127 meters to the building. The interior of the elevator is decorated with polished brass, Venetian mirrors and green leather. Hitler was afraid of the elevator, insisting that it would be struck with lightening (which it was) and preferred to be driven up the narrow mountain road, now only open to pedestrian traffic.
Eagle's Nest Interior
The main reception room, now a restaurant, was once a grand room representing power and luxury dominated by a large fireplace made with Italian marble gifted from Italian dictator Mussolini. The room also features a beautiful beamed ceiling and large windows providing stunning views of the Bavarian Alps. Although there was a large kitchen, meals were actually prepared in the village and transported to be reheated.
Beauty surrounds a wretched place
Many immoral and unforgivable decisions were made at Eagle’s Nest and countless people would have preferred to see the place bombed to the ground. Although there were attempts, the building survived and is now owned by a charitable trust and holds a restaurant and outdoor beer garden. It is a popular tourist attraction due to its historical significance. The location is truly stunning but we should never forget the horrors that started here.
A visit to Eagle’s Nest can be completed in an hour as there really isn’t much to see. There are a few information boards but not much else. It is more about the experience of being there, along with admiring the views. The Documentation Centre at the base holds more of the history. If you are in Salzburg or Munich, it’s worth taking half a day to visit. Tours can be found from Salzburg or Munich but it is also accessible by public transit. There are busses from the Documentation Centre to drive you the 6.5 km up to the tunnel, or if feeling adventurous and full of energy, you can hike to the top. The hike should take about 2 hours.
We had planned to take the local bus from Salzburg but the bus was full coming from Salzburg station and did not stop for us at the Mirabel bus stop. Luckily the stop is across from Panorama tour company that had room on a bus that was leaving in 15 minutes. Although it cost a little more than we had planned, it was nice to have them take care of all the details and the cost included the tickets for the Eagle’s Nest bus and entrance fee. We also learnt some history along the way.
Before heading back to Salzburg, we made a stop in Berchtesgaden, a charming small German town. The area is famous for its salt mines that date back to medieval times, and provide another popular tourist attraction. We had time to enjoy a coffee before returning to Salzburg to check out the Sound of Music locations. You can read about these in my Salzburg blog post.
For more detailed information, check out the Das Kehlsteinhaus website here.
